Identification and Spatial Analysis of Co-Occurring Pollution Sources of HCHs, PCBs, and PFASs in the EU and...

Soil contamination represents a major environmental concern for maintaining soil health. Among various contaminants, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are particularly problematic due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. Anthropogenic activities significantly contribute to soil contamination with various chemicals. This study provides an overview of activities contributing to the contamination of soil by hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). EU-wide databases were used to map spatial patterns, co-occurrence of multiple pollution-causing activities at a high resolution of 1 km², and potential cocontaminated areas. There are approximately 385 locations where sources of PCBs, HCHs, and PFASs co-occur within 1 km², with 10% of these locations identified as potentially cocontaminated with more than one pollutant. The identified activities can serve as a starting point for EU Member States that are still in the process of creating, or planning to create, an inventory of historical and current pollution-related activities associated with soil contamination. Furthermore, the results serve as proof of concept to demonstrate the spatial co-occurrence of pollution-causing activities posing risks of cocontamination. The evidence provided by these data sets supports soil monitoring, targeted decision making, and environmental management practices.